Devil's Calling
by Kijo-88
Summary: Rated PG13 for future gore, future language, and the future (and current) lemonish tang that will (and does) exist! Trunks is in this one, just please R&R!
1. Default Chapter

INDRODOUCTION:  
  
A bitter, gentle wind swept throughout the city, rousing papers and cans on the street where a tall figure stumbled about all alone on the fractured, vacant pavement. Covered in frayed clothing and a dark cloak, the figure continued walking on. It trembled.  
  
(God, it's cold…)  
  
Looking beyond the street-lights to the end of the deserted road, it spotted a dome-shaped building, it struggled to muster every ounce of strength within to walk to it.  
  
Chapter One  
  
Bulma awoke, the sun heating her eyelids and leaving her temporarily sightless when she opened them. Quickly looking at her surroundings after her eyes readjusted, she realized that she had fallen asleep in her lab once again. She stretched her arms backward with a yawn, making her computer chair squeak as her weight shifted back.  
  
She hazily got up from her chair, and walked out of the room and towards her kitchen. As she went by the living room, she spotted her husband and son from the future asleep, one lounging on the couch and the other curled up on the floor. Bulma smiled to herself.BR  
  
(At least Vegeta watches T.V. with him. Who knows what next...maybe they'll hold a conversation for more than a minute.)  
  
Stifling another yawn, still in her morning daze, Bulma decided to take a cup of coffee out with her onto the porch before her walk.  
  
(You shouldn't sleep that long, Bulma, it makes you lazy the rest of the day!)  
  
She opened her front door and looked outside.  
  
  
  
Chapter Two  
  
Trunks awoke to the sound of glass shattering.  
  
(Jesus, what was that?)  
  
He shot up from the floor and looked around to find the front door open. He ran towards it, and Vegeta followed after he whispered a few profanities under his breath.  
  
Bursting out the door and onto the porch, he found a ghost-white Bulma. She looked at him with wide eyes and pointed a shaky hand towards the bottom of the steps. His eyes fell upon a person, laying on the ground close to them.  
  
"Is it...........dead?" she questioned with a whisper.  
  
He walked down the steps cautiously, and grabbed the stranger's wrist. A pulse barely beat against his fingertips, and he looked up at Bulma through his long lavender hair. She was still flustered.  
  
(A pulse, barely there. And here's what I wanted when I found Gohan lying so lifeless in the rain that night.)  
  
He sighed. "We need to get-" Trunks cut himself off. He gently flipped the person onto their back, and he inspected their face. A woman, but he could've been told otherwise. She had very rough features; he figured that was from being on the streets. Tenderly, he picked her up in his arms.  
  
"Her. We need to get her inside. She's still alive, but if we don't get her treated soon, it might turn out differently."  
  
Bulma nodded quickly, and dashed inside, but first bumped into Vegeta. He shrugged her off and continued towards the door, where Trunks was next to walk in. The Prince looked at the heap of black being carried by his son.  
  
"What is that?" he asked with a frown on his face.  
  
"We found her lying on the ground. She's still alive but she's hanging by a thread."  
  
"Her?" Vegeta questioned. It barely looked like a person at all.  
  
Trunks turned her towards him, and Vegeta looked at her face.  
  
"Humph. You should've just let it die. Probably won't live long anyway. And even if it does live, it will just be useless. Another weakling human. What is the point?" Vegeta smirked when he saw a scowl form on his future son's face.  
  
Trunks turned and walked towards his mother's lab to fix up the girl. Vegeta shrugged and flew out the front door and into the sky, something he did for hours each day.  
  
Hurrying into his mother's lab, he glanced at the hard features on the strangers face. With the cuts and roughness displayed on her face, he decided that she wasn't very comely. She actually looked more like a boy when he thought about it.  
  
Bulma pointed to a bed by a few machines, and Trunks laid her down on it. "You'll have to leave now," Bulma smiled at him slyly, "I might have to remove some clothing so I can fix her cuts up, and I'm sure she wouldn't appreciate you watching her like that."  
  
Trunks blushed slightly when he realized that he had been starring at the girl the whole time, then nodded with his departure.  
  
Sitting on the couch, Trunks looked at the T.V., the neon glare filling his sky-blue eyes. He wasn't really paying attention to what shows were on, though. His thoughts were somewhere else, and he would glance at his mother's laboratory door every few minutes. It had been days since he walked in there with that girl. Now he found himself thinking about what she might look like when she was all fixed up, and more importantly if she was okay. Eventually, he drifted off to sleep, his head full of questions that needed answering or else they would drive him crazy.  
  
Chapter Three  
  
Waking up a few hours before dawn, Trunks found himself immediately thinking about that girl again. He couldn't go back to sleep, so he tried to shrug off the thought and got something to eat. While eating his toast, Trunks heard muffled voices within the lab. His heart leapt in excitement, but then he suddenly felt childish for being so ecstatic. He casually leaned back against the counter as the lab door opened. Not being able to control himself, he ran to the entrance. Only his mother was there, though, and he heard the faint sound of water in the shower running.  
  
Bulma smiled at him. "She has gotten her strength back, and right now she's taking a shower, then after that you'll get to meet her!"  
  
Trunks let out a sigh of relief. Finally, all those questions in his mind would go away.  
  
"I'd better get breakfast ready for her. She hasn't ate a whole lot for the past couple days, so I'll make it big!"  
  
Bulma hurried around the kitchen, preparing the food as Vegeta walked in.  
  
"Is it dead?" he asked flatly.  
  
Bulma shot him an angry glance, but was surprised by his curiosity towards the girl.  
  
"As a matter of fact, she is alive and in very good condition. She's quite pretty too!"  
  
Bulma turned back to her food but continued talking to the two men.  
  
"At first I thought she would be ugly from being on the streets, but she's actually extream-."  
  
Bulma cut herself off as she heard the echoing of footsteps in her lab. The door creaked open slowly, and everyone, even Vegeta, waited anxiously.  
  
Chapter Four  
  
Well, here I go.  
  
The young woman, slowly and cautiously, stepped out of the lab doorway.  
  
Trunks couldn't believe his eyes. She was beautiful, even if she was a little thin from hunger. Her hair was a continuous wave of bronze silk, resting on her fragile shoulders. In her depthless sea-green eyes he could see the universe, as if she was the sovereign of all things that breathed. The only flaw on her was a small lightning shaped scar on her cheek, a token of the terrible times she had been through before. Dressed in an big lavender sweater, belonging to his mother, and white clam-digger pants, she continued to walk forward.  
  
Seeing the hypnotized look on her son's face, Bulma tried hard to suppress a smile.  
  
"Uh, Trunks now don't be rude. Introduce yourself to her!"she cried softly, giggling.  
  
The stranger saw the boys Adams-apple bob as he swallowed and stretched out a large, callused hand.  
  
"I....I-I'm Trunks" he managed to stutter the words.  
  
The woman looked at his hand, and suddenly remembered this greeting. You were supposed to take hold of the other person's hand and shake it up and down.  
  
"Kora" she said coolly in a deep voice, welcoming his hand as she extended hers.  
  
Trunks looked at her long, slender fingers and wondered if she would twist away in a cloud of smoke, awaking him from this dream, when he touched her.  
  
At the same time, they grasped each other's hand. Not exactly in a hand- shake, for their hands did not move, and neither did their set gaze within each other's eyes.  
  
It was then Trunks knew she was in fact real. He could feel her touch not only on his hand, but snaking up and down his spine.  
  
"Uh...do you want something to eat, Kora?" Bulma asked quietly.  
  
After managing to break the moment, Bulma pointed to a plate as Kora released her hand from Trunks', but her eyes never left his.  
  
Vegeta glared furious at her. She's hiding something and I know it! Her ki is unlike anything I've ever come across.  
  
"Okay, woman, who are you?" snarled Vegeta, earning another angry look from his wife.  
  
"VEGETA!" she shot. "DO NOT TREAT OUR GUESTS LIKE THAT!"  
  
Frowning, Kora looked into his eyes. Vegeta could see the pain in her eyes, and for some reason his stomach lurched. That isn't sympathy I'm feeling, is it? No...no way. Impossible.  
  
He shook it off and crossed his arms, waiting for her reply. Exhaling a sigh, Kora began to tell her short life story. Short, because she couldn't remember past five years ago.  
  
"I actually don't know where I came from. All I can remember is waking up alone, and making my way towards this city. Don't ask why this one. All I know is that I've been traveling all around for five years. Something drew me here. It's driving me crazy because I can't figure out why." explained the girl.  
  
Bulma looked at her with intense sympathy. All my life, I've been so lucky! I'm rich, I've had a loving family...this girl can't even remember her parents, let alone who she is...  
  
"Now, I'm trying to figure it out. Hopefully I'll find something out..."Kora sighed, smiling weakly, as if it took effort to look happy.  
  
"Well, you're welcome to stay with us as long as you like."Bulma smiled. It would be great to have the company of a girl for once, since her mother was usually on vacation with her father.  
  
In protest, Vegeta opened his mouth, but Bulma silenced him with a glare.  
  
Trunks was extremely glad that this girl was staying with them. He had totally fallen head over heels with her in a matter of seconds. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, even after being in two different timelines. He would've gone home by now, but Bulma begged him to stay for a long time. Trunks went back to the future to tell his 'other' mom, and she allowed him to stay with his younger mother. "Well, you need some clothes if you're living in imy/i house." joked Bulma, "How about we go shopping today?"  
  
A light went on in Kora's face. She had seen people in the malls through the outside windows, and she had always wanted to buy something. Of course, she didn't have the money.  
  
"A--Are you sure?"stuttered the girl.  
  
"Of course! In fact, we can go right now if you'd like!"  
  
"Sure!"  
  
Grinning from ear to ear, Kora followed Bulma out the door. Trunks trailed behind, even  
  
though he wasn't verbally invited.  
  
Shaking his head, Vegeta ate his cold breakfast and got into his training suit.  
  
Chapter Five  
  
With the wind whipping through her hair, Kora looked at the world from a different point of view; through the window of a car door. It was so wonderful, speeding smoothly along in a safe, secure vehicle. Absolutely nothing like stumbling through vast cites; feeling like you could die at any moment and it would be wonderful. Death was sure better than anything she had been through.  
  
Through half closed lids, Trunks smiled to himself in the backseat as he looked at the newcomer riding shotgun. Kora couldn't look happier like this; she looked like a curious child seeing the world for the first time.  
  
Finally taking a seat and getting her head inside the car, Kora took a peek back at Trunks and smiled at him at she flipped the hair from her eyes. Flushing, he meekly smiled back and turned his head.  
  
Taking her eyes off the road, Bulma noticed Kora smiling at her son.  
  
"Handsome, isn't he?" she asked quietly, and slyly winked at her.  
  
Kora nodded. After all, in the streets there wasn't anybody to teach her to hide her feelings.  
  
"He's your son, right?" questioned Kora, but it sounded more like a statement.  
  
"Uhh...yes." mumbled Bulma. Not wanting to make Kora think she was crazy, she left out the fact that he was actually her son from 20 years in the future.  
  
"Wow, you must be older than you look! Or he's younger than he looks; you two don't look that far from each other when it comes to age. If you told me he was your brother, I would've believed you more I think!" grinned Kora, but had a suspicious glint in her eye. It went unnoticed by Bulma, though.  
  
"Heh heh...yeah...I guess it's a bit of both...he's...uh...18."  
  
"Really? I would've guessed about 25, give or take a few years."  
  
"Heh...yeah."  
  
Changing the subject, Bulma decided to ask Kora what she would like to buy at the mall. While Kora sounded off a list in her head before telling her, Bulma glanced into the rearview mirror; at her son. With his chin cupped in his hand, his gaze rested on Kora. Smiling to herself, Bulma nodded at every word Kora said. 


	2. Part Two

Chapter Six  
  
Running her fingers through soft cotton, Kora smiled at the selection of dresses displayed before her eyes. They were all beautiful to her, and she couldn't decide which one to pick. Feeling guilty about having Bulma buy all this for her, Kora always checked prices first. She decided that the $24.99 rack of dresses was good to start out with.  
  
"I think that emerald dress would look good on you...especially with your lovely sea-green eyes." whispered a voice, soft and mesmerizing.  
  
Kora shot her head up, and glared behind her; right into a pair of shocking red eyes. She whimpered, frightened by the evilness reflecting in them. Smirking, the man extended a hand.  
  
"Come back with us, Kora. You don't belong here...come back now!"he urged, his voice harsh now, with almost a metallic sound to it.  
  
"I...I...don't know what you're talking about!"she muttered, but her words turned into a yell. "Stay away from me!"  
  
"Kora?"called Trunks, hearing her voice from a few paces away.  
  
Seeing that the man was intimidating Kora, Trunks jogged over and roughly pushed him away. Stepping in front of Kora protectively, he asked, "Is there a problem here?".  
  
"Nothing sir, just seeing if the lady needed help with her selection."  
  
"O-oh."stuttered Trunks, embarrassed that he had made such a big deal out of it.  
  
"Have a nice day."smiled the violet-eyed stranger, brushing ebony strands of hair from his eyes. Then, he turned on his heel and walked away.  
  
Sighing, Trunks decided he shouldn't be so on-edge all the time. What was he worried about, anyway? Androids no longer existed.  
  
But he quickly changed his opinion when he looked at a pale-faced Kora.  
  
Narrowing his eyes, he took hold of her shoulders.  
  
"Are you all right? What did he do to you?" questioned Trunks.  
  
Gazing up at him, she parted her lips, but no words came.  
  
"Lets forget about him, okay? Some people in the city can be so queer." smiled Trunks reassuringly.  
  
Nodding, Kora decided to shrug it off. Trunks was right, after all, she had come across a few weirdoes when she was on the streets. But then the red eyes went flashing through her mind again, sending chills throughout her body.  
  
"How about a dress, Kora? This greenish one would look good on you." suggested Trunks, lifting it for her to see.  
  
That emerald one would go well with your sea-green eyes.....Come back with us now.....you don't belong here....  
  
The man's words echoed through her mind, but Kora managed to look at the dress.  
  
"Trunks? How about the pink one?"  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
Carrying a ton of bags, along with Bulma and Trunks, Kora headed back to the car. The red-eyed man being long forgotten, Kora looked happy once again. She had never owned this many items in her life. Of course, being rich, Bulma went overboard and not only bought Kora clothes, but also jewelry and items for her new bedroom.  
  
When they got back home, Kora finally got a good view of Capsule Corp. from outside. Last time she had seen it, it had been in the night and she had been almost dead.  
  
It was huge, and the dome-shape of it was odd, but it was amazing nonetheless.  
  
Inside, Bulma called Kora to her.  
  
"I want to show you your new bedroom! And don't worry, it's not in the lab again!"called Bulma. Carrying all her bags, she headed upstairs; following Bulma.  
  
Kora was suprised that Bulma was trusting her like this. Not only that, but giving her a bedroom to sleep in!  
  
"Here it is! You can set your stuff that you bought at the mall on your dressers and in your drawers."smiled Bulma. "I'll let you get your stuff around while I work in my lab!"  
  
"Okay. And Bulma?" Kora turned to Bulma, who was halfway out the door.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Thanks. For everything." Kora said softly.  
  
Bulma smiled and nodded. By her tone of voice, Bulma knew she wasn't just talking about her clothes.  
  
"HelloOOOOO! We're home Bulma!"called a shrill cry from a blonde woman, giggling after she called out to her daughter. She was followed by a lavender-haired man with a cigarette in his mouth, carrying a lavender haired baby who was slobbering.  
  
Rushing downstairs, Bulma smiled upon seeing her parents back from vacation.  
  
"Hey mom! Hey dad! How was Trunks, was he much trouble?"asked Bulma, taking her son in her arms.  
  
"Oh, that darling was no trouble at all. How about some tea?"  
  
While Mr. Brief was carrying their suitcases upstairs, he accidentally bumped into Kora.  
  
"Oh, sor-" he cut himself of, as she just starred at him.  
  
"Uh, Bulma dear? Do you have a new assistant that you forgot to introduce to me?" questioned Mr. Brief as he helped Kora up off the floor.  
  
"Oh, sorry! Kora, Dad, come down here!"called Bulma from downstairs.  
  
They both looked at each other and started down the stairs, then entered the kitchen.  
  
"Dad, this is Kora. She'll be staying with us. Kora, this is my dad. You haven't met yet because he was on vacation."  
  
They shook hands, then Kora turned to Bulma's mother.  
  
"Mom, this is Kora, Kora this is mom. She was on vacation too, along with Tru-." Bulma cut herself off. Kora still didn't know about 'Future Trunks' and 'Baby Trunks'.  
  
"Trunks?"completed Kora, crossing her arms.  
  
"Ah...um..."stammered Bulma. How was she going to explain this?  
  
Vegeta walked in the door, sweaty from being in the Gravity Room. He looked around, seeing that Bulma looked nervous.  
  
"Don't worry, I know what this is about!" stated Kora.  
  
"YOU DO?"asked Bulma, totally confused.  
  
Trunks walked downstairs, and saw that everyone that lived in 'his' house was gathered in the kitchen. Deciding to join them, he ran the rest of the way down the steps.  
  
"Yep! Trunks has a son! This must be Trunks Jr., right?" explained Kora, pleased that she had figured it out.  
  
"The brat has a son?" garbled Vegeta, but Kora ignored him.  
  
"Awww, he's so adorable, Trunks!"called Kora, over her shoulder. Trunks stood still, wondering what was going on.  
  
"He looks just like you too!"  
  
"W--what? Who?"  
  
"Your son, of course!"  
  
Trunks stood, just as baffled as everyone else, but Kora didn't notice it as she lifted 'Trunks Jr.' from Bulma's arms.  
  
"Aw! I bet you're gonna grow up to be quite the handsome young man! He's so cute!"  
  
As Kora carried on about Baby Trunks, Bulma started giggling and winked at Future Trunks. He sighed as his cheeks turned a rosy pink.  
  
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!?" screamed Vegeta.  
  
Kora stood and stared at an outraged Vegeta as Bulma pulled on Kora's arm.  
  
"Come here, Kora, I think we need to have a little talk about something."  
  
Chapter Eight  
  
"Bulma, this isn't funny. I don't know if Trunks is embarrassed about having a kid, but saying that he's from the future is going a bit far!"complained Kora. She was extremely frustrated. How dare Bulma play her for a fool! She may not be rich, and even though she could only remember from five years ago, that didn't mean at all that she was dumb.  
  
Bulma sighed and stood up.  
  
"I'm sorry but..."started Kora, but Bulma silenced her with a hand. She smiled.  
  
"Kora, I know this is hard to believe. It was hard for me to believe, too, but if you want 100% fool-proof evidence, it would be no problem for me to give it to you."  
  
"That would be great!"sighed Kora. She was starting to think Bulma was crazy.  
  
"A scar? Bulma..."  
  
Baby Trunks was being held by Bulma with the inner part of his thigh turned outward.  
  
"He got this once when he fell. I know it's little, but Trunks from the future has it too. Trunks! Come here for a moment!"  
  
In spandex shorts like his father owned, Trunks walked into the lab.  
  
"Good thing you're in those! This will make this less difficult."  
  
Trunks took a step back. "Make what less difficult?"  
  
Giggling, Bulma handed Baby Trunks to Kora, who started pulling on her hair.  
  
Trunks took another step back, which only made Bulma laugh harder. "Come here, silly, I'm not going to do anything to you. Turn your left leg outward as far as you can."  
  
He cocked an eyebrow at his mom, and shot a glance at Kora, who shrugged. Sighing, he did as he was told. A small, v-shaped scar was visible.  
  
"See? They have the same scar in the same place."stated Bulma.  
  
"That is quite the coincidence, but it's not enough proof. And please don't tell me how you found that scar on Trunks!" joked Kora.  
  
"I'm leaving now." grumbled Future Trunks. "And she saw it when she was bandaging me after I sparred with Father."  
  
Kora laughed. "I'm only joking."  
  
He smiled and walked out of the lab, quickly so that his mother couldn't ask him for any more 'favors'.  
  
"How about a blood test?"suggested Bulma.  
  
"Now that would be convincing!"grinned Kora.  
  
Trunks poked his head in. "I'm guessing I'll be needed again?" he sighed.  
  
"Uh huh. C'mere son number two!"  
  
Trunks rolled his eyes and Kora shook her head as Bulma gestured to Trunks to take a seat. Then she got a needle.  
  
Neon lighting filled the dark living room as Kora and Trunks watched televison. Trunks looked over at Kora, who didn't look all too interested in it. That's strange, it seems as though she's watched T.V. before...and yet she hasn't lived anywhere but the streets.  
  
"Hey Kora? Do you mind if I ask you a question?"  
  
"Yes, I do have a scar on my thigh, and no, you can't see it." she chuckled.  
  
"Oh c'mon, be serious!"  
  
"Alright, ask away."  
  
"Well, you said that you can't remember anything past five years ago, right?"  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
"So...how do you know how to read and stuff? And you look as though you've watched T.V. before. I mean, you don't look at all interested in it. Then again, I could be reading you wrong."  
  
"No, you're right."she sighed, and turned her head to look at him finally. "I have no clue how, but it seems as though I have watched T.V. before. It sounds strange, but it's like I can remember how to do things without having a memory of learning them. Like reading. It's easy for me, and yet I was never taught in the past five years. Pretty strange huh?  
  
"I guess. But I'll bet you just have amnesia. It'll all come back to you some day." he smiled reassuringly. "Oh, and another question. Where'd you get the black clothes and cloak?"  
  
"I don't know. I've had them for as long as I can remember."  
  
"From the start of your five years."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
He cocked an eyebrow, and she laughed.  
  
"I washed them in lakes several times, don't worry."  
  
They both went back to watching T.V., but Kora itched to tell Trunks something.  
  
It's now or never Kora.  
  
"Do you want to know what that man said to me. In the mall, I mean."  
  
He sharply turned to her. "I've been wanting you to tell me all day, but I thought it might be uncomfortable for you if I brought it up…especially when you seemed to have forgotten about it."  
  
She smiled at his sudden interest, but then her breath got shaky as she remembered the evil red eyes that burned into hers.  
  
"He...he told me to go back with him, and that I didn't belong here." she explained.  
  
Trunks frowned. "He was probably trying to take advantage of you or something. People are so-"  
  
"No, it wasn't that. Believe me, creeps have tried that on me on the streets a lot. He actually said 'Come back with us'. What do you suppose he meant?" she questioned.  
  
"I honestly don't know."  
  
"His eyes...they were so awful. When you saw them, they were violet. But when he was talking to me...they were blood-red, Trunks."  
  
A sudden shock went through Trunks' body. Flashes of images...the androids...haunted his mind again. Often times the androids' eyes would glow red.  
  
"Tell me about yourself, Trunks. I know I don't have much to say, since I can only remember five years, but how about you?"  
  
He sighed, and looked at her with pain in his eyes. Explaining about the androids, and how they terrorized his mother, killed his father, and murdered his best friend...Kora now knew he was indeed from the future. No blood test was needed.  
  
After he talked about his past, he explained how he went back in time to warn Goku of the demonic androids and a deadly virus that would attack his heart. He talked about how his father didn't accept him. Then they talked about the period of time when Cell terrorized the Earth.  
  
"How was that for you, Kora, did you ever see him?"  
  
"Y-yes, once."  
  
Trunks looked at her with amazement. "Did he see you?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Shaken, he just glared at her.  
  
"How...how did you survive? I mean, he killed…I mean, absorbed everyone he saw."  
  
Kora sighed again. Another question that didn't have a rational answer. "I don't know. I remember him coming after me, then I got really scared and suddenly I went into this daze. When I came out of it he was flying away from me. I'm lucky I survived, but I don't know how!"  
  
This is very strange. She'd have to be a Z fighter to defend herself against a monster like that.  
  
"It's happened to me a lot. Going into a daze, I mean. I think it might have to do with my amnesia or whatever queer problem I have."  
  
Trunks laughed nervously. This didn't make any sense! No one survived when Cell confronted them. No normal person, that is.  
  
Soon after, Bulma walked out with the results while yawning. Kora smiled knowingly and nodded. After all, she had discovered Bulma was indeed telling the truth long before the blood test was completed. 


	3. Part Three

Chapter Nine  
  
Bulma was lying in her bed, reading the seventeenth chapter in her book. She was shaken from her concentration when the shower in her bathroom was turned off. Hearing footsteps, she glanced near the bathroom doorway. Blushing slightly as Vegeta walked out stark naked and dripping wet, she smirked to herself.  
  
Vegeta saw that look on her face before she stuck her nose back into her book.  
  
"What's your problem, woman? It is not like I am naked or anything."  
  
Bulma cocked an eyebrow at him and shook her head. He looked down at himself, and in mock surprise said, "Oh, I guess I am naked. How embarrassing."  
  
Giggling, Bulma watched him try to crawl under the sheets.  
  
"Ohhhh no you don't! Dry off first you lunatic." she smiled, looking at his shoulder.  
  
Sighing, he grabbed a towel out of the bathroom and buried his face into it, then dried off his hair and body.  
  
He stood in front of the bed, placing his fists on his bare hips. Bulma looked at his disheveled mane of spiky hair atop his head, and tried not to look south. He asked, "What is the deal with Trunks' son?"  
  
Bulma laughed, finding it amusing how he never said combined words. It was never 'isn't', it was 'is not' with him.  
  
"Misunderstanding," she explained, "I didn't want to tell her that he was from the future, but I ended up telling her anyways. I thought that she might think of me as being crazy."  
  
"You are crazy."  
  
Looking at him, she scoffed. "I'm not the one standing around, pretending not to be naked. Why don't you get some P.J.'s on, do you think I like to look at you like that?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Rolling her eyes, Bulma smiled as he got into bed. He grabbed her book and threw it lightly across the room as he put his arms around her.  
  
"Hey Vegeta, what do you think of Kora?"  
  
"Why do you ask?"  
  
"I dunno. I just wanted to know if she was okay with you, or if she annoyed you or whatever."  
  
"She is strange, and defiantly is not human."  
  
Bulma looked at him with suprise as he frowned. "Her ki is unfamiliar to me."  
  
"You mean, she isn't even half or quarter human?"  
  
"No."  
  
Bulma looked at her lap, shocked by this information. Vegeta kissed her soon after, though, and she forgot all about it.  
  
Tossing in her sleep, Kora was haunted by the red-eyed man once again. He and his words played over and over in her mind. Then, suddenly, a new image appeared.  
  
Kora saw many people, all of them frightening with smirks on their faces. There was a young woman sitting high on a throne. Her dream zoomed in on that person, who had her arms lain on the sides of the throne. Her head was tilted downwards; it was hard to see anything except her short-cut hair and a huge cut on her cheek. She looked oddly familiar. She raised her head, and her eyes glowed brilliant neon red.  
  
Kora shot up into a sitting position, sweating terribly. Immediately she started crying. My life is a mess! Why can't I remember my past? Why are these red-eyed people suddenly haunting me in my sleep, and while I'm awake also?  
  
Not realizing how loud she was crying, she continued her weeping and it awoke Trunks. His room not being all that far away from hers, he got out of bed and made his way towards his bedroom door. Looking down at himself, he realized he should put boxers on, for decency's sake.  
  
A faint knock sounded on Kora's door. Sniffing, she answered.  
  
"Who is it?"  
  
"It's me, Trunks."  
  
"Oh, come in."  
  
She desperately wiped off the tears on her cheeks, but it didn't help. Her eyes were still wet, and when she tried to hold in her sobs she quivered.  
  
"What's the matter?" he asked, sitting on her bed beside her, "Are you all right?"  
  
She buried her face into her hands, and he slid closer to her, putting an arm awkwardly around her.  
  
"It's driving me crazy that I can't figure my past out. For the last five years, I didn't care about it. I just cared about surviving. But now that I'm with you guys and now that I'm okay, all these questions are coming into my mind." she explained, calming down a bit. "And I had this nightmare about red-eyed people. I know it sounds childish, but they scare me. They all seemed so familiar and so real, and I don't want them to be."  
  
Trunks understood. He knew what it was like to live in a nightmare.  
  
After she stopped crying, Kora shook her head. "I must be such a burden to you. I'm always complaining about everything."  
  
"No, you're not, really! And you have the right to complain. You haven't had it easy all your life. And besides, I like talking to you. We have a lot in common, I guess."  
  
She looked at him, and blushed when she saw him smiling at her like that. Like he meant what he said. Now she believed him.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Chapter 10  
  
It was almost dawn, but the two young adults were still sitting on the bed talking.  
  
"I can't believe this. Not only are you from the future, but you're half alien?"  
  
"Yep. My father, Vegeta, is pure Saiyian. My mother is from Earth."  
  
"But you were still raised on Earth?"  
  
"Right."  
  
A cold breeze swept through the room, since the window was partly open. Shivering, Trunks realized it'd be a good idea to get something else besides boxers on.  
  
"Hold on, I'll be right back." he said, already walking out of the room. Then he stopped. "If that's okay with you."  
  
She flashed him a grin. "Of course!" He smiled and left her room.  
  
Kora sighed distractedly. He was so handsome, and kind too. Her mind flashed back to when he was sitting beside her, bathed in the moonlight. His bright blue eyes sparkled and his long lavender hair shimmered. Trunks was so muscular, too; he looked like such a sex symbol just sitting there in his boxers. And his smile...it made her weak.  
  
Looking at the clock, Kora realized they had been talking much longer than she had thought. The numbers 4:49 flashed in neon blue numbers.  
  
Trunks cleared his throat as he walked back in. Kora shot her head sideways to look at him in a Capsule Corp. sweatshirt and baggy sweat pants.  
  
"So, where were we?" she asked. "Oh yes, so how did you defend yourself against the androids?"  
  
He sat down, close to her. "Well, you know how I said that I'm half Saiyian? Well, we have powers."  
  
Kora's eyes shot wide open. "Like?"  
  
"Uh...flying, shooting lasers, and if we get powerful enough we can turn Super Saiyian, and that gives us more strength. Our hair turns golden and our eyes turn green."  
  
"Man, that'd be so cool to fly! Do you do that a lot?"  
  
"Yeah, usually in the morning...like right now."  
  
In one swift motion, he took hold of her, opened the window the rest of the way, and flew out with her in his arms. She gasped, and then laughed. It was astonishing!  
  
She clung onto him as the wind wisped through her gown. His sweatshirt was warm and soft. Looking down, she realized that they were very high off the ground, and she clung tighter.  
  
She murmured, "This is incredible."  
  
After a few minutes, he turned back towards his house. Once inside, he laid her down onto her bed. He wanted to kiss her, but felt that she would reject it.  
  
"Goodnight, Kora." he said softly.  
  
"Goodnight alien man." she murmured, and fell asleep with a smile on her face.  
  
Sighing, he could help but to give her a small kiss on her forehead before he left her room. On his way out, he took one last glance at her. What a goddess…look at her. She's so stunning, and the moonlight! Kora looks perfect to me.  
  
Trunks made his way back to his bedroom.  
  
Chapter 11  
  
"XERXES! Did you get the her?"  
  
"W-w-who m-master?"  
  
"Idiot! You know who."  
  
"W-w-well, your h-h-highness, there were some, complications, you see..."  
  
"YOU DIDN'T GET HER? YOU..."  
  
"I almost had her! Really, I did. She was so scared and confused, I could've taken her back, but then this boy...he stepped in front of her..."  
  
"What difference does that make Xerxes? You could've just destroyed him."  
  
"But Master! He had so much power, I couldn't do it."  
  
"Did you even try?  
  
"Well....M-M-Master, n-no."  
  
A dark, misty laser shot out into the darkness. Xerxes screamed in pain as it writhed through his skin, disintegrating his flesh slowly. Eventually, it was done and there was nothing left of him.  
  
A young woman leaned against the wall in the corner, watching Xerxes scream the whole time. She just kept a frown on her face. When there was nothing left of him, she continued walking towards the master.  
  
"A small punishment, don't you think Oralia? He was lucky."  
  
"Yes master."  
  
"I think we've been going about this all wrong. We need a tricky and slow approach, not a sudden one. And you're just the one I need."  
  
"What do I need to do, master?"  
  
"Befriend her, Oralia. Make her trust you. She'll welcome you into her home, and after a while, trick her and take her back here."  
  
"What about the boy, master? Xerxes said he was powerful."  
  
"Xerxes was weak and stupid. I admit, I underestimated the girl. After being on Earth so long, I thought she might be eaisier to trick, so I picked him to do the job. But you're imuch/i more powerful than he is."  
  
"So, that means...that the boy isn't as strong as Xerxes imagined."  
  
"You're right. You're one of the best, Oralia. The boy will be weak compared to you without a doubt."  
  
"What do I do with him, master?"  
  
"Eliminate him. Anyway you can think of."  
  
"But then the girl wouldn't trust me anymore, master, if I killed someone close to her."  
  
"The night you plan on bringing the girl back to us, kill him first. In his dreams, I suppose." The Master sighed. This wouldn't be an exciting kill at all. "Then, convince the girl to come back with you."  
  
"I see, master. And what is the girl's name on Earth. Here, it's Odessa, but..."  
  
"Her memory got the name wrong. She remembers it as Kora."  
  
"Hmmm...alright then."  
  
Oralia vanished, almost as if she were vapor. The Master smiled to himself. Finally, Odessa will return. Then I'll have a mate to rule with...  
  
Chapter 12  
  
Yawning, Kora arose from her bed. She realized that she was dazed, but not too tired. Kora remembered last night, when Trunks talked to her until dawn, then took her flying. Had that been a dream? Shrugging, she got out of bed, not being able to go back to sleep. Glancing at the clock, she realized that it was much later than she realized. She had never slept until 11:30AM before! She took a shower and got dressed, then dashed downstairs.  
  
Kora stopped in her tracks when she saw a girl her age standing next to Bulma. The woman starred up at her with fiery orange eyes, which had a yellowish tint to them. She brushed her dark red hair from her eyes and smiled. She was quite pretty, and extremely tall. It was almost odd how tall she was; defiantly tall enough to tower over any man in the house.  
  
"Hey Kora! This is my new lab assistant, Lia. I hired her last night. She'll be helping me at work and at home! She'll be living with us now."  
  
"Oh, hello!" greeted Kora, with a smile on her face as well.  
  
"Hi! It's nice to meet you!" Lia mirrored the smile. She sounded nicer than she looked.  
  
"Nice to meet you too."  
  
"Kora, do you want to come to the lab with us?" asked Bulma, "I want to see what you can do!"  
  
"Oh, sure."  
  
The three women made their way to the lab, but not before bumping into Trunks. He gave Lia a fearful glance and looked at Kora. He smiled and waved, then went into the kitchen.  
  
Why is he acting so strange? He looked at Lia as if she was scary or something. She shook it off and walked through the door.  
  
Hours later, everyone was still in the lab.  
  
"Wow! You too really work well together! Ya make a great team!" complimented Bulma. Lia and Kora smiled at each other as they continued to work on one of Bulma's creations. They had really gotten to know each other over the past couple hours.  
  
Bulma wiped the sweat off of her forehead and sighed. "It's pretty late, and I don't want you guys to hate me for keeping you in here, so you are free to go!" she grinned, and the girls grinned back.  
  
Kora liked the feeling of getting used to this new home. It was like being at a good friend's house, you can raid the refrigerator and not feel like a bad guest about it. She grabbed a Mountain Dew and clicked the T.V. on. Looking up from her cozy spot on the couch, she noticed Lia clear her throat and shifted on her feet.  
  
"Oh, uh, excuse me, you can take a seat by me...if you want to." Kora patted a spot by her on the couch. Lia smiled and sat down shyly. Kora found it funny how Lia's personality didn't match her look. On the outside, she looked intimidating and mature. But actually, she was quite cheerful and shy.  
  
"So, uh, Lia, how did you find this job?" questioned Kora, wanting to get to know her better.  
  
"Oh, advertisement. I guess she wanted someone to help her not only at work, but at home too. Are you working for her?"  
  
"Oh, no, I just live here. It's a really long story," stammered Kora.  
  
"Ahh." said Lia, not sounding all too curious.  
  
"I might tell you sometime, but like I said..." explained Kora. She didn't want to sound rude for not telling her or anything.  
  
"Oh, that's fine!" supposed Lia.  
  
The two continued to watch T.V. together, speaking a few words to each other every so often, and slowly beginning to become friends. 


	4. Part Four

Chapter 13  
  
Brushing her waist-length hair, Kora smiled at her image in her bedroom mirror. It was one of the first times she had been able to do so. On the streets, she defiantly wasn't looking her best. Now, with shampoo, conditioner, soap, and make-up, she thought of herself as being pretty now.  
  
Kora heard a faint knock on her door, followed by Trunks' voice. "Room service, would you like me to fluff your piiiiiillllow?" he said in a shrill voice. She snorted and put the brush down. "Knock yourself out!" she laughed.  
  
Walking in with just long, navy-blue silk pants on, Trunks smiled at her. It turned upside down. "She creeps me out..." he stated.  
  
"Who?" Kora asked, turning in her chair away from the mirror.  
  
"That girl that my mom hired," he yawned, rubbing his eyes. Kora couldn't help but to smile. He looked like a tough warrior, but doing that made him look like a child. "She is strange I guess. Lila was it?"  
  
"Lia."  
  
"Right."  
  
"Didn't you think I was strange when I was lying at the foot of your porch?"  
  
"No, I thought you were dead."  
  
"Oh, that's right. So, you don't think she's pretty, and you aren't attracted to her?" Kora questioned, cocking an eyebrow. "Prettier than me?"  
  
Trunks gave her a hesitant look. "No, she's freaky. That's it. And what makes you think you're pretty?"  
  
Kora scoffed and crossed her arms, then looked at her feet. She felt stupid for saying that, but Trunks just laughed.  
  
"I'm only kidding, Kora."  
  
"Eh-about what?" she asked shyly.  
  
"Uh...about saying that you weren't pretty." he said, putting his hands in his pockets.  
  
She blushed, and looked at her feet again. "Why is she freaky to you?" she asked, changing the subject.  
  
"I don't know, it's just something about her. Her eyes creep me out, too. It's hard to explain. And she's unusually tall."  
  
"Well, you just have to get to know her, I guess."  
  
"I don't want to get to know her."  
  
Kora sneered. "Okay, I'm sorry your highness."  
  
Rolling his eyes, he sat on her bed.  
  
"What makes you think you can sit on my bed your majesty?" she shot at him, grinning.  
  
He sighed and looked up at the ceiling, mocking a deep-thought look. "I saved your life, so you're in my debt. So I guess sitting on your bed would be something small compared to what I did for you."  
  
"Okay, you don't have to be sentimental about it. So, did you just come in here to tell me that Lia is freaky and that I'm in your debt?"  
  
"No, I wanted to talk to you again."  
  
She nodded and sat by him on the bed. "I thanked your mom, but I don't know if I ever thanked you for saving me. You don't know how much it means to me. I mean, you guys could've just left me there and..."  
  
"No way, we could never have just left you there, Kora." he said softly, looking in her eyes.  
  
"R-really?"  
  
"Of course. Do you think we would want to step on you while walking off and on our porch?" he chuckled.  
  
She punched him slightly on the shoulder, but he just laughed. "I'm only kidding."  
  
Kora turned to him. "Your mom told me a lot about you while she was taking care of me in the lab, but she never told me you had a sense of humor."  
  
"I guess I don't joke around with her a whole lot."  
  
"Ahhh...," whispered Kora. "Well, what's it like in the future?"  
  
Trunks looked up at the ceiling. "Actually, it's not that much different. I mean, technology has changed a bit, but not much. That's about it."  
  
"Do you have any girlfriends?"  
  
"No, I was too busy fighting androids to have any girlfriends." he said dryly.  
  
"Oh. I'm sorry." she said. She knew that androids weren't his favorite subject to talk about.  
  
"Enough about me, how about you? Was it tough on the streets?" he asked.  
  
Kora sighed. "Getting food was tough sometimes. I found enough money in the roads to buy a little something now and then, and sometimes people gave me food. Winters and summers were especially tough. Now all that seems sort of foggy in my memory."  
  
"Did you ever have to defend yourself against anybody?" he asked, turning his whole body towards her to listen.  
  
"Yeah, lots of times. So whenever I was out in the country, I sort of taught myself martial arts, and it worked extremely well. Not to brag, but I'm pretty good for teaching myself."  
  
"Ah. So if I tried to kiss you, would you use it on me?" he questioned softly. I can't believe I just said that! Now she'll think I'm a total creep...why did I do that?!  
  
Kora was startled by the questioned, and her heart started pounding. She gained the courage to look up at him, but her eyes darted away quickly.  
  
"Are you brave enough to find out?" she said, more slyly than she felt.  
  
"You're worth it," he whispered, lifting her chin with his fingers, directing her face towards his. Slowly, he lowered his face to hers and kissed her softly on the lips. Kora put her hands on his massive shoulders, then leaned towards him more.  
  
Am I doing this right? I've never kissed anyone before! Both the young adults had this question in mind as they locked lips.  
  
"Oh Trunks! Trunks, where are you? Come here for a second!" came the muffled yell of Bulma, probably downstairs. Both Trunks and Kora sighed in disappointment, and he stood up.  
  
"I gotta go," he said, and then whispered deeply, "But don't think for a second that we're finished."  
  
He smiled and walked out, leaving Kora in total disbelief. I can't believe that just happened! she thought to herself, but then smiled and sighed. I'm sure glad it did, though.  
  
Chapter 14  
  
Lia was lying on the bed that the earthling Bulma gave her. It's so pathetic how these people live. They're so....nice. Lia frowned. She wasn't making very much progress becoming Kora's 'friend'. That earthling Trunks was in the way. I wish that I could get rid of him NOW. She exhaled noisily.  
  
"Well, I guess I'd better get working on this whole friendship process. It's going to take me a while." she thought aloud.  
  
After plotting different schemes in her head, Lia got quite bored. It's ALSO pathetic that these humans get weak if they don't have their eight hours of sleep. I don't need any sleep at all! Jumping out of her bed, full of energy, Lia headed downstairs to the room called the 'kitchen'. It held something that fascinated her: food. It was so odd what different sensations it gave you. Some foods were pleasing; some made your mouth pucker.  
  
I guess I'll go get some food.  
  
As she walked downstairs, she noticed a light coming from the cold food- keeper. In front of it she could see a man with his hair sticking straight up. Lia recognized it as looking like a flame, which amused her.  
  
"What are you doing up?" inquired the spiky-haired man, crossing his arms.  
  
"I was about to ask you the same thing, but then I realized it's obvious to figure out all by yourself. Why don't you give it a try?" she ridiculed, as he scowled.  
  
"Getting food?" mumbled Vegeta.  
  
"Yes."  
  
Faint footsteps patted down the stairs, and both Vegeta and Lia looked up. Rubbing her eyes, Kora jumped over the last step and headed towards to two others who were joining her in getting a midnight snack.  
  
"Hello Kora!" greeted Lia in a warm voice.  
  
Kora smiled. "Hey, I guess you two couldn't go to sleep either?"  
  
"I don't need to sleep." responded Vegeta and Lia at the same time. They blankly looked at each other. Vegeta shook his head and then looked in the refrigerator again.  
  
"What I mean is. Uh." corrected Lia, cursing herself for almost giving away her secret. Her secret about not being human. "What I mean is I don't need that much sleep to be re-energized."  
  
"You know what? That's strange. I hardly sleep at night either. Sometimes it seems like I don't sleep at all!" smiled Kora.  
  
Sneering to herself, Lia thought She's definatly from my race of beings.  
  
"Well, with my son talking to you all night, I'm surprised you sleep at all. I think he has a thing for you, Kora, perhaps emotionally AND physically." teased Vegeta, smirking when she blushed frantically.  
  
"You two can continue your gab-fest. I'm going to bed, and I'm taking the pickles with me. If anybody wants them, you can be stupid and try to take them away from me, or be sensible and wait until morning." said Vegeta, holding his jar of pickles close.  
  
"Okay Vegeta." responded Kora, shyly. What he had said had really flustered her.  
  
Rolling her eyes as Vegeta walked up the stairs, Lia said, "What a crank."  
  
"I know!" giggled Kora carefully, tilting her head towards the sound of his footsteps on the floor above her. "All he does is scowl, smirk and tease. I'd really like to show him sometime."  
  
Lia laughed. "Yeah, I'll hold him down and you punch him."  
  
The two talked together, eating their sandwiches and drinking pop. Becoming good friends, Kora suggested that they had a 'girls-day-out' the next day, going to the movies and shopping and all sorts of different things that didn't make sense to Lia.  
  
I'll do whatever she wants, no matter how odd it might seem; as long as it gets me closer to getting her.  
  
"That sounds like fun, Kora. Oh, and thanks for suggesting that. I know we haven't known each other for long, but..."  
  
"But it seems like we have for a long time?" completed Kora, grinning.  
  
In mock awe, Lia raised her eyebrows. "Wow, I was just about to say that!"  
  
The two said goodnight and went upstairs to their separate rooms. Lia smiled, pleased at herself. After this girls-day-out thing tomorrow, then I'll finally be able to get rid of Trunks and take Kora back to our Master. This is too perfect...  
  
Kora walked upstairs to her bedroom, and crawled into her bed. She didn't feel tired at all, which seemed odd to her. After a few moments, Kora became aware of someone on the other side of her bed. Her heart lept in fear as she started sliding away, off the bed, but then a hand wrapped around her neck and lips brushed against hers, into a kiss. Instantly knowing that it was Trunks, she returned the kiss, her heart continuing to leap. "You shouldn't scare me like that." she whispered against his lips, laying her head down on her pillow as they continued to kiss. He giggled into her neck and kissed it, as she ran her hands up and down his back. It eventually got to the point where his whole body was pressed against her. Kora's eyes widened. I think Vegeta was quite correct in his statement that flustered me so…  
  
  
  
Chapter 15  
  
Early next morning, Vegeta was walking down the hall so that he could go outside to train. Passing by Kora's room, he heard a deep, sleepy sigh. Deeper than what a woman could make. It sparked his curiosity, and slowly, quietly, he opened the door. Then he started laughing his head off. Startled by the noise, Kora and Trunks both shot up from their sleep.  
  
"I knew it! I just knew it!" he said, continuing to laugh. Somehow, he found it amusing. "Did you two have a good sleep, or didn't you sleep at all?" he chuckled.  
  
Blushing, Kora and Trunks looked away from him.  
  
Vegeta just walked away, down the hall. Trunks looked at Kora, his eyes still wide. "Well, so much for me saying 'good morning'!"  
  
After taking a shower (in which Trunks had snuck in) and getting dressed, Kora and Lia headed out for their 'girls-day-out'. They became best friends in no time, eating lunch, singing karaoke, shopping, going to the movies, and tons of other things. Before they knew it, it was dark out, and they both were standing on a bridge looking over the city.  
  
"It's weird, I don't feel tired at all!" said Kora. "Do you?"  
  
"Nope!" she replied.  
  
Now's my chance...thought Lia. "Hey, uh, Odes- er..Kora? I was wondering...well, you don't have to if you don't want to, but...I was wondering if...you would like to come with me to where I grew up at. Ya know like a...vacation."  
  
"That sounds great! I'd love to!" smiled Kora.  
  
Kora's words were like getting a dart in the bullseye. Lia filled with evil glee as Kora asked when they should go.  
  
"If you're not too tired, how about tomorrow?"  
  
"Sure!"  
  
They headed home, and they both couldn't be more happy, but for different reasons.  
  
Kora was getting into her pajamas when Trunks suddenly came behind her and spun her around. She was in a sweatshirt and her underwear.  
  
"Hey sweetheart," she cooed, "Have a nice day?"  
  
Trunks kissed her forehead. "Actually, it was rather dull without you."  
  
She smiled. "I missed you too, but I had fun today!"  
  
He wrapped his arms around her and whispered 'I love you' into her ear, and rested his head on her shoulder.  
  
"I love you, too, Trunks. Promise you'll never leave me alone?"  
  
"In what sense do you mean that?" he asked huskily in her ear, making it tickle.  
  
She giggled. "You'll never make me lonely."  
  
Trunks held her tighter. "Of course not, I couldn't live without you. I love you so much."  
  
Kora went to bed, but Trunks had to stay up late to help his mother while she fussed over a difficult invention. He wanted to sleep beside Kora, but he didn't want to wake her up, either.  
  
I'll just see her in the morning…he thought, as he walked to his own room.  
  
Lia snuck around in the dark when all was quiet at Capsle Corp. A clock nearby read 4:15am as she crept into Trunks' room. She kneeled by his bedside while he slept, and concentrated in her mind.  
  
Trunks 'woke-up' in a place he had never seen before, and a place he never wanted to see again. It looked like Hell. Where am I?  
  
Hello Trunks. Lia was suddenly standing before him.  
  
This doesn't feel right, it must be a dream.  
  
No Trunks, this is a nightmare, and you have to die.  
  
Lia shot a laser at him, and it ate away at his flesh and soul. He screamed and she laughed in pure delight.  
  
This is one nightmare you can't wake up from! she cackled.  
  
Lia's eyes shot open, and she was back in the darkness of Trunks room. For a few moments he made a few strange, quiet noises, then they stopped. Lia felt his wrist for a pulse, and to her delight there wasn't one. She held onto his arm as it got colder and colder. Lia smiled. "Now to take care of Odessa." 


	5. Part Five

Chapter 16  
  
In the morning, Kora and Lia packed their bags. Kora looked around, frowning. Something wasn't right. Glancing to her left, she saw Bulma making breakfast in the kitchen, reminding Vegeta to not eat raw bacon in her presence. He ignored her, of course, and dangled the strip of meat in front of Bulma's face before swallowing it whole. Bulma giggled and smacked his face lightly while Kora finally realized that Trunks wasn't awake yet.  
  
"Oh, I should tell Trunks goodbye!" she said while climbing the stairs.  
  
Lia's eyes shot wide open. "NO!!!" she cried, pulling on Kora's arm. She released her arm quickly, and Kora's eyebrows narrowed.  
  
"Why not?" she asked sharply, as Lia's eyes converted to the ground in shame. She had just given away her secret!  
  
Bulma wiped her greased hands off with a dishtowel and turned around. "Trunks might not be up yet, he usually sleeps in. Unlike Vegeta, Trunks gets tired, but you can leave him a note or something and I'll give it to him!"  
  
"Good idea! I wouldn't want to wake him up or anything." Kora ran past Lia and scribbled a note on a piece of paper:  
  
My Dear Trunks,  
  
I'm going on a trip with Lia. We are becoming good friends, and she wants to see her  
  
family again. I guess it's a good idea for me to get out of the house for a while, although I'll miss you terribly. You won't get this note until you wake, but by then I'll be gone. I wish I could watch you sleep but I wouldn't want to disturb your rest; you're so handsome while you're dreaming (well...you're handsome ALL of the time ^_^). I hope you think of me, I can't wait to see you when I get back!  
  
Love you too much ^_~,  
  
Kora  
  
Smiling at her paper, she folded it and handed it to Bulma. "Be sure to give it to him!"  
  
Bulma grinned, "He'll probably throw a fit when you're gone, but he'll survive."  
  
"Yes..." smirked Vegeta, "He'll survive, he just won't have a bed-mate for a while!" Laughing, Vegeta stuffed some sausage down his throat and poked his head into the fridge.  
  
What Vegeta had just said finally sank into Bulma's head. She gave a small grin to herself as Kora's face turned pure red.  
  
"Let's go!" cried Kora, grabbing onto Lia's arm while dashing out the door with their suitcases.  
  
Vegeta and Bulma watched the door slam and listened to the squeal of the tires as the car sped out of the driveway. The couple exchanged glances and started laughing as Bulma set down a stack of pancakes. "I had no idea!" she admitted. "How did you know Vegeta?"  
  
"Well, let's see here...it was EXTREAMLY hard to figure out!" she said sarcastically. "I saw them in the same bedroom, sleeping together, without clothes on-"  
  
"OKAY, OKAY! I don't need details dear!" sighed Bulma in exasperation, shaking her head as she sat down at the table beside her husband.  
  
The wind swept through her hair as Kora rode in Lia's convertable. She still loved the thrill of it. It seemed weird, as if it was her hobby to fly like this...  
  
Lia's hands gripped the steering wheel, still shaking from the close- encounter back at Capsule Corp. They almost found out my secret, and it was too early! she thought to herself, grinding her teeth. I'm not being careful enough!  
  
"Hey Lia?" shouted Kora, since it was hard to hear when the wind was whipping through your ears.  
  
"Yeah?" she shouted back.  
  
"I just wanted to say 'thanks', you know, for being such a great friend! We're really close now in my opinion, it feels like I've known you for a long time! Since we were children or something!" smiled Kora.  
  
Oh, but we HAVE known each other for a long time, Odessa, you just can't remember it! whispered Lia inside her mind. She turned to face her 'friend'.  
  
"I know! Thanks for being my friend, too!" grinned Lia. She could have screamed in glee. I have her now! She is completely trusting of me! This is too perfect! laughed Lia inside of her head, stopping the car. The breaks squealed and the car slid a little. Lurching forward suddenly, Kora shot a glance at Lia.  
  
"What are you DOING?" she asked, bewildered.  
  
"You have to trust me. Just for a moment." Lia cried, placing her hands on either side of Kora's head.  
  
Kora could feel her mind being shut down. It was painful, but she trusted Lia for some reason. She didn't know why she was letting Lia inflict this pain upon her, but her subconscious told her to, so she didn't fight it. A few moments later, she passed out.  
  
Chapter 17  
  
Kora thought she heard someone telling her to wake up, but she couldn't be certain. She opened her eyes, but her vision was blurry and made her dizzy. After a while of being confused and in pain, Kora's grogginess stopped. Her headache went away, and her eyes opened instinctively. Letting them focus, she realized she was in a very dark room, lying in a bed. The bed was silky- red and very comfortable. There was a black, lacy canopy above her head that was attached to the bedposts. The room's floor had a deep red carpet with dark walls, but she could determine the color of the walls because there was a fire-place in front of her, and its flames flickering, making the walls change from orange to red instantly.  
  
Finally, she could feel parts of her body. Her legs had been numb before, but now she could move her toes. Her arms tingled as they regained feeling, and after a while she felt someone beside her.  
  
She tried to move her head to the side, but her neck hurt. Kora felt fingers running through her long, bronze hair and massaging her head. It felt good, but she was frightened because she had no idea of who was doing it to her.  
  
Feeling a sharp pain in her neck as she tried to turn it, Kora gasped and closed her eyes as she shook and warm tears slid down her cheeks. She cried because she missed Trunks, and needed him now. She had no idea about where she was and what was going to become of her.  
  
An arm wrapped around Kora's waist and head, moving her from a sitting position to a laying position. Kora heard a soft sigh and whoever was beside her continued to run their fingers through her hair, and occasionally tracing their finger across her cheek.  
  
Calming down, Kora let out a few sobs and fell asleep again.  
  
Oralia (known before as Lia) opened the big wooden door and found her master and Odessa (known before as Kora) lying in bed. He was awake, watching her sleep. There were dried tears on her face.  
  
"I'm sorry I had to do that to her, master, but it was the only way her body and mind would be able to withstand the transportation. Her body weakened on Earth, but she should regain her normal strength after I give her this pill. She'll still need training to become strong again, and, of course, a lesson."  
  
"Lesson?" asked Asher lazily, still watching the mystical Odessa sleep.  
  
"Yes, she lost all memory on Earth. The cause of it is uncertain, but-"  
  
"Do you have the pill? All I care about right now is making her pain go away."  
  
Surprised at her master's compassion, Oralia handed over the pill with a blank look on her face. Asher took it and opened Odessa's jaw with his hand. He shot a sideways look at Oralia.  
  
"Oh, sorry, I'll go now." she apologized, leaving the room. Oralia was a bit jealous of the treatment that Odessa was recieving. The master wasn't kind to anyone else like that, and mostly held disdain for them. She flipped her blood-red hair over her shoulder and walked down the corridor with a spring in her step, happy to be home.  
  
Odessa's jaw was in Asher's hand, opened slightly. A soft sigh escaped her lips, and Asher couldn't control himself anymore. He placed his lips upon hers, but then realized that he should give her the pill. He placed it on her tongue and moved her jaw up and down to help her swallow it. Odessa's eyebrows twitched and she finally swallowed it down.  
  
"There, darling, that should make your pain go away." Asher whispered in her ear, observing how small her face was in comparison to his hand.  
  
Odessa woke up. The sight of her eyes shooting open surprised Asher, but made him happy at the same time.  
  
"Where am I?" cried Odessa, moving herself into a sitting position. Looking to her left, she saw a man. He had a build, but wasn't as muscular as Vegeta or Trunks. He had jet-black hair that lay in disheviled spikes on top of his head. His eyes were icy-blue. Not the type of blue that Trunks' eyes were, though. Looking into Trunks' eyes was like looking into a clear blue sky on a day when everything was perfect and hapy. Looking into ithis/i man's eyes was like looking into a glacier. He wasn't wearing a shirt, but he did have on black sweatpants.  
  
"Ah, you're awake my precious! I enjoyed watching you sleep, but I'd also love to gaze into your emerald eyes, I haven't seen you for so long."  
  
"Who are you?" she asked, trembling. "Where am I?"  
  
Asher once again took Odessa's face into his hands. He directed it to face him, and started at her.  
  
"You are immeasurably striking, Odessa."  
  
"That's not my name, it's Kora." she said, tears welling up in her eyes. They slid down her cheeks and onto Asher's hands.  
  
"No it's not..." he corrected, kissing her forehead. She was too weak to resist him. "But you'll find out about your past soon enough, and when you do, we'll be together forever." he said with merriment, hugging her. "And nothing...and nobody...will stop it."  
  
Odessa cried herself to sleep, but woke again. This time, she was alone and there were clothes laying by her bed. She replaced her old clothes with these fresh, clean ones, and proceeded to walk down the corridor. Her footsteps echoed even though she was tiptoeing. A small boy was walking briskly her way. Funny, she didn't see him before.  
  
"Ah, you must be Odessa...you ARE as pretty as they say you are! If I didn't know better, I'd say you were from Up There. Well, we must be on our way, there is much for you to learn, and so little time.  
  
They boy gently took her hand. "By the way, my name is Aiden and I'm a Sixteenth."  
  
Odessa was confused. "A sixteenth? You mean you're sixteen years old?"  
  
"Something like that. I suppose they said it different on the planet that you were on."  
  
"Why does everyone call me Odessa? My name is Kora."  
  
They boy chuckled, as if she were a toddler saying something incorrectly but it was still cute. "You can't remember past five revolutions ago...or shall I say five YEARS ago...so how do you know your name is Kora?"  
  
"Well, that's the name I remembered in my brain. When I first woke up....I mean, that first instant that I could remember....the name Kora repeated itself in my brain. So I guessed that my name was Kora."  
  
"No, your name is ODESSA. Remember that."  
  
"Where am I? I don't like it here."  
  
"You will eventually, when you remember."  
  
"Remember what exactly?"  
  
"Remember your past. What happened all those years ago. Past those five years that you roamed the Earth."  
  
Odessa gasped. She would give anything to remember what had happened, yet she was scared. What if she didn't like her memories? What if she didn't like her past?  
  
Aiden led Odessa into a room. The room looked just like all the other rooms that she had scene; it was like that bedroom and the corridor. The room had a dark interior, consisting of maroon and black colors.  
  
"Sit down. This will take a while."  
  
Odessa did as she was told, and sat down in a huge chair. Aiden placed his hands on either side of her head. She was frightened again, because this is exactly what Oralia did to her, and it caused her intense pain. But before she could run, Aiden was already in the process of restoring her memories. Odessa felt sleepy as drifted into her own sub-consciousness.  
  
There were people, hundreds....no....tens of thousands of them. All running away. There was a great fire blazing in the background, and the heat rose in great swells, making everything seem rushed and chaotic...it was perfect. Our hearts were pounding with excitment...with glee. Suddenly, there was a big flash...a flash coming from one of those who stood their ground. She was sneering. When that big flash faded, there lay hundreds dead, coughing up blood and screaming. Most of them had body parts that disingrated away. Others had blank expressions on there face. They were dead, although fresh blood was pouring from them. All too perfect...  
  
The woman, the one who caused the flash, the one who had sneered at that massacre, she had a huge scar on her cheek. She had her hair cut short. She was the ONE. The one Odessa saw in her horrid dreams, the woman that had sat upon that throne! Ah yes, Odessa remembered that dream well. She had it that night before Trunks took her outside in the morning to fly...she didn't know who that woman was until now. It was her own mother!  
  
Odessa's eyes shot open, making her vision fade away as quickly as it had come. She glared, wild-eyed, at the boy who was gazing deep into her eyes, with his hands still inches away from her on either side of her face. His head was tilted to the side a bit, and his expression-along with his eyes- were blank. Sighing, his eyes regained their bright brown color. His navy- blue hair was covering his face in flat spikes, so he brushed them aside as he smiled at Odessa, who was trembling now. She resembled a deer who was trapped, hypnotized by the headlights of a car, unable to move away from the danger it faced.  
  
Aiden chuckled as Odessa gave a small cry of hopelessness before she began to sob. Patting her back, he said, "Now now, that wasn't that bad, was it?"  
  
"I can't believe you showed me that, now I know why I remembered that name, the name Kora. That was my.........my.........my mother wasn't it? She's the murderess who killed those people in that vision you gave me!"  
  
Aiden laughed harder, his brown eyes sparkling with hilarity.  
  
"No is the answer to both of your beliefs. Kora isn't your mother's name. No one knows who your mother was, nor do they care. Kora is Arok spelled backward. Arok was the man we stole you from! He wasn't your father, either, because no one knows who your father is either. I'm guessing he was your boyfriend or something. No need to care about him. You obviously don't remember him much, and we killed him anyway. And that woman wasn't your mother. That woman was you." 


	6. Part Six

Chapter 18  
  
"I can't believe Trunks slept in this late! Sure, he usually does...but this is absurd!" cried Bulma, placing her hands on her hips. She and Vegeta had just gotten done eating breakfast. Time in the world that Odessa was in moved a lot faster than Earth's time.  
  
Vegeta chuckled softly. "Maybe Kora gave him a little present last night before she left. He's probably worn out."  
  
Bulma slapped his arm. "You pervert!" she mumbled, walking up the stairs slowly. When she reached Trunks' room, she suddenly got an odd feeling...a bad one. Shrugging it off, she walked into his room. The sheets were pulled tightly over his head.  
  
Sighing, Bulma pulled down the sheets.  
  
Vegeta was still laughing to himself when he heard Bulma scream from upstairs. This just made him laugh harder. Yep... he thought. She probably just saw him sleeping in the nude...which makes me right about the whole Kora thing!  
  
Still, a pang of worry struck Vegeta. He didn't truly think that Bulma would have screamed at the sight of her own son naked.  
  
When he rushed into Trunks' room, he almost screamed himself.  
  
A few hours later, Bulma had Trunks in the lab. She knew very well that he was dead, but just couldn't accept that fact. She had to know why. She ran all types of tests on him, but couldn't find anything until she took X-rays on his brain. He had severe damage to his brain stem from the inside of the stem, it appeared.  
  
"It has something to do with that Lia, I just know it." said Vegeta bitterly. He looked at his son, feeling helpless.  
  
"I just don't know what to do!" sobbed Bulma.  
  
Chapter 19  
  
"Let me go!" whimpered Odessa. Two guards were dragging her to a room, and when they opened the door she was tossed inside. Florescent lights flickered on, and she saw a round room with a control panel in the middle. This looks like Vegeta's gravity chamber... she thought, groaning.  
  
"Well, well, well! What do we have here?" teased Asher. "Have you come to play?"  
  
Odessa shot him an angry look, and backed up against the glowing red wall. "Where am I? I demand you to tell me right now!" she barked, not feeling as confident as she sounded.  
  
Asher frowned suddenly and walked up to her. I hate to do this to her, but she needs to get the feel of fighting again.  
  
Giving her a disdainful look to enrage her, he slapped her across the face.  
  
The whole right side of Odessa's face stung, and tears welled up in her eyes from the pain. Her cheek became red.  
  
Gasping, she slapped him back. His face also became red and he stumbled back and threw a punch at her. Odessa dodged it and punched him as hard as she could in the stomach. He flinched a little, but he had tightened his stomach muscles to make her punch hurt less.  
  
"Good enough." he said flatly. Asher kissed her cheek suddenly. Surprised, Odessa just glared at him, wondering why he had tried to beat her up and yet he kissed her just now. Red-faced, he turned around and walked out of the room.  
  
Asher pounded his fist through the wall in his bedroom. "Why can't I do it?" he yelled aloud, the dust from the fresh hole in the wall swirling around the room. He sank to the floor, not being to get the image of Odessa's face out of his head. She looked so startled when he slapped her, and he hated to see her unhappy.  
  
Odessa felt good after slapping Asher. Punching felt great.  
  
She punched the air, kicked it, and hated herself for loving every minute of this fighting. Seeing a gravity control button on the control panel in the middle of the circular room, she wiped the sweat from her brow and clicked it to 0 gravity. A voice boomed from the large speaker on the ceiling.  
  
-ZERO GRAVITY SIMULATION ACTIVATED-  
  
Suddenly, Odessa felt herself floating around the room. She felt funny, trying to move herself and thrashing about. As she floated toward a wall, she straightened her legs and pushed off the wall, zooming toward the ground. Again, she straightened her legs and bounced off the floor, spinning in the air until she roughly hit the ceiling. A sharp throbbing stung in her left shoulder, and her arm felt out of place. Crying out in pain, she fell to the floor as she bounced off the ceiling. Before she could bounce unwillingly again, the same voice boomed from the ceiling.  
  
-ZERO GRAVITY SIMULATION DEACTIVATED-  
  
Odessa was lying on the floor, grasping her shoulder and clenching her teeth, trying to not cry out in pain again.  
  
Asher shook his head. "You really shouldn't do that, not by yourself." He walked toward Odessa, and she cringed as he relocated her arm. The pain was still dull, but it did feel better.  
  
Odessa looked up at him angrily as he lifted her up. "I can walk you know!" she said crisply Odessa pushed him away and jumped to the floor, then she ran to her room to change into her silver nightgown. It reached her ankles and was silk, and was held up by thin straps. Odessa pulled out a picture from her travel bag. She had packed it for her and Oralia's 'vacation'.  
  
Holding the picture close, she sank to the floor. The photo was of her and Trunks, standing in Bulma's lab. She could remember exactly what happened that day:  
  
"Okay you two, move to the left a little." giggled Bulma.  
  
"Mom, why are you taking a picture of the two of us?" questioned Trunks. He blushed, since it was after their his and Kora's second late-night talk and first kiss, and wondered if Bulma had found out somehow.  
  
"I dunno, maybe because you two look sooo cute together!"  
  
"MOM!!"  
  
Giggling softly, Odessa stood by Trunks with a smile plastered on her face. She didn't know what else to do, since she had never had her picture taken before, so she stood like a statue.  
  
"Stupid me, it doesn't have film in it!" groaned Bulma. She turned around away from them and walked into the kitchen to check for more film.  
  
Trunks looked at Odessa and laughed. She was still in her frozen pose, with a fake smile on her face. "Why do you you look so tense?" he chuckled softly, winking at her. She blushed and shrugged her shoulders a little. Suddenly, he starting running his finger up her back until he reached the bottom of her halter-top. Then he ran it back down again.  
  
Stiffening and blushing at the same time, her mouth dropped open a little as she looked at him. The pink blush caused by his wink now turned a crimson color.  
  
"Okay, I found it!" sighed Bulma in exasperation. She smiled and raised the camera to her eye. "One...Two..."  
  
Before she could say 'three', Trunks wrapped his arm around Odessa's bare stomach and around her neck, pulled her back against him in sort of a backward hug. He rested his cheek against hers, making Odessa's fake smile turn into a real one as the camera clicked and took a picture.  
  
"Awww how precious!" mocked Vegeta. He mocked them in an exaggerated way again by wrapping one arm around Bulma's thigh and his other around her waist, and lifted her up. "Take a picture of uuuuuuss!"  
  
"Shut up Father." mumbled Trunks, storming out of the room.  
  
Kora just blinked rapidly and walked quickly out of the room, mortified by Vegeta's teasing.  
  
A tear rolled down Odessa's face and landed on her shaking hand. Sobbing, she realized that she may never see Trunks again.  
  
From the workout she had before in the gravity room, Odessa fell asleep from exhaustion, the picture frame still tucked beneath her arms.  
  
"Master, this isn't going to well. Not at all. That moron Aiden revived a memory within Odessa's mind that frightened her, and she isn't on our side at all. She hates us."  
  
"Dammit! I specifically told him to not do that. He shall be punished properly," smirked Asher, "And she will continue her memory sessions with me."  
  
"As long as they don't turn out like your 'fighting session' with her did. You barely hurt her, and you gave her a kiss on the cheek. So soft, so affectionate..." she teased.  
  
"Shut up." he said solemnly. "That's an order. Even if you are my sister, you are still below me and I am still your ruler."  
  
"And I've never seen a demon such as yourself show such compassion and adoration towards a mere mutt such as Odessa."  
  
"SHUT UP!" he screamed, hitting her face with the back of his hand. Four gashes formed on her face, with blood trickling rapidly down the first three cuts. She never cried out in pain, though, she just turned her head in his direction again.  
  
"Do you forget that she truly is one of us?" he questioned his sister bitterly. "She's no mutt."  
  
"Yes, she was born here, but her parents were rebels and escaped with her to the Other Side. They taught her the methods they use Up There. Odessa was considered a good person to everyone until we destroyed that galaxy where she was taken. She was only on our side for a little while because you brainwashed her desperately, then sent her on a mission to make the Earthlings your slaves. But she forgot her entire past, somehow...perhaps the half-breed hit her poor little head or something."  
  
"Is it not going through that thick skull of yours? She is not a half-breed or a mutt! She's full of only demon blood and you're an imbecile to think otherwise!"  
  
Oralia looked at her brother, who had his teeth clenched and was trembling in anger. Turning her nose up in the air and glancing at him disdainfully, she said quietly, "She may have demon blood, but she has the heart, soul, and mind of an angel. And that, my brethren, makes her a half-breed in my eyes."  
  
Turning on her heel as she often did when she was angry, Oralia stormed out of the room.  
  
Sighing in exasperation, Asher walked out of the room himself. It was too full of the stench of death, blood, and rotting flesh for him to think clearly.  
  
Creeping towards Odessa's room, Asher wondered why it was so quiet. Peeking in, he realized that she was holding something in her arms, fast asleep.  
  
That used to be ME that she'd hold in her arms. Now, she hates me more than anything in the universe.  
  
He kneeled alongside her, lifting the picture frame from her grasp and wanted to throw it against the wall and hear it shatter into a million shards of glass when he saw what the photo contained. But, he didn't, for she would wake up and be angry when she awoke, and hate him even more than she did already, if that was possible.  
  
Before returning the picture to her arms, he took one last look at it. This time, he didn't look at the fact that another man was holding her close, but he looked at her face. She seemed so happy with this man that he could hardly stand it. Why, she was even blushing!  
  
He placed the frame back in her arms with two shaky hands, then leaned against her soft bed and buried his face in the sheets, sobbing. It was true what his sister had said. Odessa never loved him, she just turned to him for comfort because he was the only one that realized she wasn't evil, she was just being brainwashed. Oh, but he loved her so much.  
  
Asher shook his head. He was a demon, and here he was acting like a heartbroken human. Sighing in disgust at himself, he stood up and wiped his tears. Getting a smirk on his tear-stained face, he thought Who cares if she doesn't love me or want me, I can still get what I want.  
  
Locking the door to Odessa's bedroom, he chuckled. His laugh made Odessa stir in her sleep and eventually awake.  
  
"Get out!" she yelled, embarrassed that he had been watching her sleep. "What are you doing in here?"  
  
He smirked wider as she stood. "As the humans say, that's for me to know and for you to find out."  
  
As she approached him to escape through the door, he lifted her up with ease and threw her on the bed. In one swift motion, faster than she could blink, he was there too, pinning her down.  
  
Trying to struggle free from his grip only made him pin her down tighter. "You're not leaving until I get what I want." he hissed.  
  
"What do you want?" she asked in exasperation, thinking along the lines of some possession she owned, or perhaps some information she knew. But then, it hit her.  
  
Gasping, she kicked at him, but he flipped off the bed and stared at her while he took off his cloak and armor.  
  
"P-please don't. Anything but that!" she whispered, shaking.  
  
He sighed, kicking his armor aside. It hit the floor with a clang and rested in a heap on the floor. He stared at it with his fists on his hips, and he sighed again, louder this time, and looked back at Odessa.  
  
"Fine. Anything but that?"  
  
She nodded, fearing what he might come up with.  
  
Asher walked towards her bed and lifted her chin gently in his hand. She didn't pull away; she just stared at him with tearstains left on her face, just like his. He sat down beside her on the bed, stroking the underside of her chin with his finger.  
  
"Kiss me," he said flatly as she frowned at him. He frowned back. "Not a short one, and at least act like it means something to you."  
  
In her mind, Odessa sighed with relief. She guessed it wasn't so bad.  
  
Asher closed his eyes. "And don't pretend that I'm that boy either, whatever his name was."  
  
Odessa smiled at his fury when he said 'boy'. He was really jealous and probably knew EXACTLY what his name was.  
  
Rolling her eyes, Odessa cupped Asher's face in her hands in kissed him for several minutes. "Was that long enough?" she asked quietly as he opened his eyes. She blushed when she noticed that he was breathing heavily.  
  
Asher smiled inwardly.  
  
"No." he whispered. "Not enough."  
  
"What do you mean 'not enough'? I kissed you and it was a long kiss, just as you asked for."  
  
"It'll be enough if I get to hold you while we kiss and if you...if you hold me too."  
  
Odessa blushed again. He was so infatuated with her that it was embarrassing. It was getting pathetic, too. Sighing in exasperation, she said, "Okay, okay."  
  
He smiled and took her arms, wrapping them around his neck. Then, he wrapped his own arms around her waist. Closing his eyes, he awaited her second kiss.  
  
"Now, if THIS time I do it right and you are pleased with it, will you leave? I am exhausted from my workout in the gravity chamber today."  
  
He laughed. "Fine, I promise I'll leave. But not until it's to my liking."  
  
Leaning forward, she brushed her lips against his before kissing him. She moved her left arm from his neck to his back, and left the right arm on his neck, stroking her finger up and down the back of his neck. He shook and started kissing her neck, making a sound that resembled a purr of a cat.  
  
"STOP THAT!" she hissed, turning crimson.  
  
He didn't say a word; he just gave her a lop-sided smile and kissed her, running his hands up and down her back. Asher started to bring his hands to her stomach and move them up.  
  
"No, no, we're just kissing. Don't pull any funny stuff."  
  
"Ah, but you started the 'funny stuff'."  
  
She frowned. "This is obviously to your liking now, and you promised that you'd leave if it was. I was merely trying to get you out of here faster."  
  
Asher snickered, as if he didn't believe her. "Do you really want me to leave?" he whispered.  
  
"Of course I do!" she yelled, blushing again.  
  
He chuckled softly. "Okay then. That was wonderful, and if I didn't known any better I would say that you enjoyed it yourself."  
  
She winced. "I didn't."  
  
"I know."  
  
He turned around and started walking towards the door.  
  
"Oh, and thank youfor not raping me as you planned."  
  
He cringed and turned around. "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking and I didn't think it'd be so bad for you since we used to-"  
  
"Shut up and get out of my room." she yelled. She could feel her face turning red again, and wondered if it was from anger or embarrassment.  
  
"Sorry." he whispered. And with that, he walked out of the room.  
  
After a few hours, Odessa was still lying on her bed, disgusted with herself and trying to remember if she hadn't kissed him, he would have hurt her terribly.  
  
Sighing, she sat up. I really should train more so that if he tries anything like that again, I can defend myself.  
  
The next morning after Odessa woke up, she spent the day training in the gravity room. After a few hours she was doing well in both zero and 3x gravity. This workout that she did absent-mindedly left her muscles twisted and sore, but she could feel herself becoming stronger. With a towel wrapped around her neck, she made her way tiredly to the shower room. As she passed a mirror, she stopped to look at herself; something she did rarely now. She wasn't fragile looking like she was before; her body was starting to develop a build. Her hair wasn't long and elegant as before, either. She had cut her hair down to her chin, and it was choppy with layers. Sadly, she realized that her physical appearance resembled that of how she used to look. Back when she was working for evil side-by-side with Asher and the rest.  
  
She narrowed her eyes at her own reflection, as if to scold herself. Her mind protested. Maybe my appearance has changed, but that doesn't matter. My spirit is still the same, and I wouldn't ever give up the fight to stay out of the clutches of my dark past. I have someone now...someone who cares deeply for me. And he is waiting back at Capsule Corp. for me at this very moment. Don't worry my love, I'll return to you soon.  
  
Well, that's all for now! Check back soon, because I'm constantly updating this story. Please give me some reviews, I'd really like to know what you think of it! ^_^ Thanks! ~Kijo-88~ 


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